Review of Albergo della Regina Isabella, by The TI Review Team

Take 128 opulently decorated rooms, a full-service spa that's an obsession among Italy's trim and beautiful, and a handful of restaurants and bars ranging from white-linen service to no-shoes-required poolside. Now place it on one of Italy's most lovely islands, known for centuries for the curative powers of its thermal baths, and you have the Regina Isabella - a five-star luxe resort that capitalises on both the traditional charm of the region and the natural bounty of its setting.

The facilities

The Regina Isabella is a proper spa, divided between thermal and dermatological departments. It's vast and elegant, if slightly clinical (you'll see a doctor before your treatment)-and all about the mud; prepare to have it slathered on every surface of your body. There's a fitness center, a heated saltwater pool, a handful of tennis courts, and an enormous sun terrace manned by a small legion of staffers bearing refreshments. As of March, there's a gourmet restaurant, Indaco, specializing in low-fat interpretations of local island and Neopolitan cuisine. Business needs are met by the capable concierge desk.

The rooms

Le Regina Isabella's accommodations range from 17-square-meter standard doubles-still lovely, with high ceilings and painted in sorbet shades of lemon and violet-to the massive Imperial Suite, with three bedrooms and five baths. All Luxury Units have faxes and Bang & Olufsen sound systems. Throughout, floors are of local Capodimonte tile or maiolica, and furnishings marry the simple (handcarved bed boards), the opulent (Murano glass chandeliers) and the whimsical (charming Marimekko-like prints scattered here and there).